Women's football

[Gingerfinch]

A fairly decent first half in the Spain vs Finland game. Finland taking the lead was obviously a shock and good one at that. Once Spain had taken the lead, Finland looked dead on their feet and the game fizzled out a little. Only 16,000 were there but it took an age to get in and we ended up parking at Asda, even though we had paid to park in the stadium. The main road in front of the back of the stadium being closed for whatever reason didn't help.

[Durhamfootman]

bad luck, Ginger. Did you make it in time for the start?

[Gingerfinch]

bad luck, Ginger. Did you make it in time for the start?

Got in at 4.55. If we had queued till we entered the main car park, then I reckon it would have been 5.30 till we got our seats. The seats were good though and it is a nice stadium for viewing. Could have gone this Tuesday for nothing but I would have to take an afternoon off work and the game on isn't one that gets the blood pulsing!

[Durhamfootman]

sounds like the recent Teeside airshow. thousands of people with tickets watched the displays from their cars, stuck in traffic jams that were snarled up in every direction. I think they had something daft like 4 people working on the parking, even though they knew how many tickets had been sold.

[Gingerfinch]

At least they could still see it but not the point. Michael Buble played at Waddesdon Manor last Saturday and from what I read on FB and heard, it took some 3-4 hours to get there from Aylesbury, which is about 3 miles. Some got there and went to the pub instead. If I'm being honest, the pub sounds like a better alternative to watching Buble.

Currently watching the Sweden - Netherlands game a little behind. 1-0 to Sweden at the start of the 2nd half in my time world.

[Gingerfinch]

1-1

[Durhamfootman]

Buble was here last Wednesday. They had cones up all around the ground and on all the approach roads plus park and ride sites, just like they do for international matches, so hopefully everything went smoothly up here. I haven't heard of any problems

[Durhamfootman]

Jeepers......

I have no idea how much a ticket cost for this game, but they must be the bargain of the century

Torn to shreds ain't in it for Norway

I don't know where to begin. Is this the best half of football ever played by the Lionesses?

[Gingerfinch]

Should have been 8 at least, I just hope they don't turn off the gas like France did last night.

Norway look abysmal at the back but that may be England being so good. Nice to see White getting back in the goals and Kirby slowly getting back to her best but for me, Mead has been terrific.

[sussexpob]

Pettersen doing Vålerenga IF proud by picking the ball out the net 8 times like a total boss ....

hva i helvete var det...!!!

[Durhamfootman]

I felt a bit sorry for her, tbh. Her defenders looked so shellshocked at what was happening that her protection just disappeared. The manager didn't help them at all in that first half.... he just looked shellshocked too

The question now is how badly will Norway be affected by the manner of that defeat? Austria will surely be sensing an opportunity to progress

[Gingerfinch]

Their keeper did make a couple of good saves. Norway were to wide open at the back, like a table football team. England exploited that and made chances. I will say this, how did VAR not see Ellen White's first half hand ball? The way Norway played it would have made no difference but still.

[sussexpob]

Not the first time, Holland put 7 past the Norwegian ladies recently. I laughed at some saying Norway were a dark horse being ranked around 10t-12th in the world, but once you get past England and Spain in 7-8, the drop in quality is a canyon in class. Been a lot of lopsided first tier
v second tier games in this tournament.

The money, interest and advancements in footballing powerhouses has caused a clear separation. The brutal fact is Norway had a few (4 at my count) players who play in Norway still, and they couldn't have looked more out their depth. But then you are comparing small clubs with a few hundred spectators for larger games to Chelsea, Man City, etc players
... Just a different world.

In eventuality it was a team with a few non league players and some excellent players playing other world class players.

It is what it is.... One can't fault footballing nations for caring more about the woman's game after all

[Durhamfootman]

Their keeper did make a couple of good saves. Norway were to wide open at the back, like a table football team. England exploited that and made chances. I will say this, how did VAR not see Ellen White's first half hand ball? The way Norway played it would have made no difference but still.

how did the ref not see the massive tug back on the German striker last night

Since when did VAR have to be requested by the ref... I thought part of their job was to alert the ref of things they may have missed

As usual, the nicey, nicey, tippy, tappy team get away with all sorts of things when their ugly side pops up to play. Even I could see the tug back in real time and I was 300 miles away

England will probably be facing them in the QF's, assuming they don't lose their next match too. A straight red for the Spain capt would surely have seen her suspended for that match

[Gingerfinch]

I didn't see that one, Footman

VAR done well tonight with the Portugal penalty.